Before long, Quanfeng jumped onto the arena, and Huxiao, seeing the orcs coming up, immediately went on alert.
The size of a level 7 orc warrior in beast form is not to be underestimated. Compared to the beast forms of Dog Wind and Tiger Roar, it is like an adult male tiger leading a seven or eight-month-old tiger cub.
The roars of wild beasts were terrifying. The giant white tiger, as large as a mountain, was agile and not only no less powerful than the smaller dog-like wind, but it could even block all of dog-like wind's escape routes before he could make his next move.
The orc, Dogwind, was of low level and no match for Tiger Roar. He was defeated after six rounds. Orc battles are fierce; they won't stop until everyone is on their last breath. In the end, Dogwind was carried off the battlefield.
The medical team was positioned below the concrete platform where Shen Nong was. Shen Nong channeled a trace of wood-type energy into Quan Feng to ensure his safety. The medical team could handle the other injuries, so they didn't concern themselves with them.
Tiger Roar stood on the martial arts stage, displaying the courage of a single man holding off ten thousand. The white tiger's massive body was majestic and imposing, exuding a solemn and dignified aura. Shen Nong looked at Tiger Roar on the stage and felt that there was a sense of ethereal mist surrounding the white tiger.
After several more battles, Cat Cloud, Rabbit Wind, Wolf Rain, Leopard Autumn, and Deer Spring were all defeated by Tiger Roar. Having fought several level six and seven orc warriors, White Tiger was also wounded. Several long, bloody welts trailed from its snow-white fur, some still dripping blood.
Shen Nong was somewhat surprised. Cat Cloud, Wolf Rain, and Leopard Autumn were all level seven orc warriors, just like Tiger Roar. They had all been defeated by Tiger Roar? Was Tiger Roar about to advance?
At this moment, Hu Xiao on the stage discovered a tremendous force surging within his body, a force that had been helping him in the previous battles. Now he stopped, but the force within him had ceased.
Tiger Roar felt as if he were being torn apart from the inside out by this powerful force. He wanted to vent and destroy without restraint. But the rules of the Orc Warrior Guard acted like shackles, locking the ferocious beast within him.
Patience and restraint.
This shackle, which was almost a suppression of his nature, finally cracked. Tiger Roar still had his reason and did not want to harm his people, so he banged his head on the ground in an attempt to pass out.
Who knew that even though he used all his strength to smash his head open and was bleeding profusely, he was still awake, and the force surged even more violently, as if afraid that he would really faint.
Tiger Roar's sudden action startled all the orcs around him. They cautiously took a few steps back and looked carefully at the arena.
Just as Hu Xiao was about to strike a second time, Shen Nong activated his supernatural power to stop him. He could see that Hu Xiao was desperately resisting and suppressing something, but if he continued to crash like that, his brain would be seriously damaged, and he wouldn't be able to save him.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!" Just as the vines were about to burst through the soil, Big Black roared as it stepped onto the training platform. It sounded quite angry.
Tuanzi squatted by the edge of the training platform, its chubby paws resting on the edge, chirping twice. Dahei turned its head to look, waved at Tuanzi, and then pounced on Huxiao.
The fact that the Wood Tribe kept a giant beast was known to the surrounding tribes. After the flood, when the entire tribe came to work in the Wood Tribe, everyone saw it. At first, some were frightened, but now they are used to it.
The orcs were all stunned by Dahei's expression. They knew Dahei was intelligent, but they hadn't expected it to be this intelligent. So intelligent that it could even participate in the Wood Tribe's chieftain election?
The Wood Tribe orcs below the stage were also confused. "Why are you looking at us? We don't know either!"
Shen Nong frowned as he looked at Da Hei on the stage, worried that Hu Xiao's unstable condition might hurt Da Hei.
"Priest, don't worry, Big Black will be fine."
A voice came from behind her, and Shen Nong turned around in surprise, "Are you feeling better? Didn't I tell you not to come over?"
Ever since learning that the tribe was going to elect a chief, Ze's mood had been somewhat off. Shen Nong asked him several times, but Ze himself couldn't explain it, only that he felt very sad.
Shen Nong knew that Ze's inexplicable sadness was caused by the election of the clan leader. Although she didn't know the specific reason, in order to make Ze feel better, Shen Nong told Ze early in the morning not to come to the martial arts arena today.
"The guards' quarters are feeling a strong fluctuation in Tiger Roar's power, and they're worried." Ze stared at the priest, making sure he wasn't injured before continuing, "Tiger Roar is about to advance."
"Is Big Black really okay? Cat Cloud and the others couldn't defeat Tiger Roar before." Shen Nong wasn't very clear about the orcs' advancement, and it hadn't been like this before.
Ze raised his hand and pressed down a strand of hair sticking up at the back of Shen Nong's head. "There's no need to defeat Hu Xiao. Level 8 orc warriors have enormous energy that needs to be expended. Da Hei just needs to dodge attacks and avoid direct confrontation with Hu Xiao."
Shen Nong was relieved to hear this; Dahei was the only one in the tribe who could evade Ze's attacks.
This bear is incredibly intelligent, possessing an innate and heightened sense of danger. It might have gone unnoticed in the wild before, but before the military guard was established, it served as a training target for hunting teams, honing its evasive skills to near perfection; a bear is even more slippery than a fish.
At first, Ze could easily catch it, but later it took some effort. However, none of the other orcs were able to hurt Big Black.
Big Black was panting heavily on the martial arts stage, his breathing as loud as thunder; he was truly exhausted.
The power still within Hu Xiao's body was also about to break through and advance after Da Hei's actions; it was just one step away from success.
Big Black moved its mouth, then remembered something and turned to bark at Shen Nong a few times. Shen Nong, who was proficient in bear language, immediately understood, "Two-legged priest, after this matter is resolved, you have to give Big Black lots of candy."
Shen Nong looked at the big black bear, which already showed signs of fatigue and had a pitiful bear face, and nodded.
Receiving a response, Big Black was pleased and then tore open the animal stomach that the ferocious orc had stuffed into its mouth. The blood in the stomach, now free, flowed down Big Black's throat.
In an instant, Dahei felt full of energy, and all its fatigue vanished. It felt that it could now fight two big white tigers!
Seeing the changes in Dahei's body, Shen Nong glanced at Ze. Her eyes seemed to ask, "Is it because of your blood?"
Ze stared into the priest's bright and beautiful eyes, and couldn't help but reach out and touch the corner of her eye, nodding and smiling.
Shen Nong chuckled softly. This Big Black would go to great lengths just to get a piece of candy. He had originally planned to make a huge, multi-tiered cake for Big Black, since he loved sweets, so he could eat his fill. Now, his special cake, meant only for his bear, was gone.
The White Tiger's deep roar echoed through the sky, and Shen Nong noticed that the thin mist surrounding the tiger's roar had thickened even more. Exhausted, Da Hei collapsed, and taking advantage of the moment when the tiger roared to the sky to receive the power it needed to break through, Tuanzi quickly rushed onto the martial arts stage and dragged Da Hei off.
After Tiger Roar awakened, its beast form doubled in size. The oppressive aura emanating from its body was almost unbearable for the lower-level orcs, causing their legs to tremble unconsciously and filling them with fear.
Shen Nong felt that the solemnity and majesty of the tiger's roar and beast form were even stronger, and there was a sense of antiquity in her eyes.
From then on, no one performed martial arts on the stage anymore.
The priests of all the tribes stared in horror at the arena. An eighth-level orc warrior! It was an eighth-level orc warrior!
In this land, according to the oral tradition of successive priests, the highest rank a beastman warrior could reach was only level seven. Level eight beastman warriors were only found in beast cities.
Today, they actually witnessed an orc warrior advance to level eight.
…
The news that the chieftain of the Wood Tribe was an eighth-level orc warrior swept through the tribes that were not present like a hurricane.
The old priest of the Vine Tribe held the wooden stick in his hand, and heard Cat Vine's voice in his ear, "We encountered Grass Tribe orcs while hunting today. They said that Tiger Roar, the chief of the Wood Tribe, advanced to the level eight orc warrior during the competition."
Tengmu's cloudy eyes watched the hunting party's hunt becoming fewer and fewer, seemingly ignoring Maoteng's words, but his withered, aged hand gripping the wooden stick tightened even more.
Ever since the news spread that Catvine resolutely refused to let the Wood Tribe come to the Vine Tribe and take away the old people, children and orc warriors, Vinewood never looked at Catvine again.
Tengmu believed that if the other tribes knew that the Wood Tribe was interfering with their fire rituals, they would definitely distance themselves from and fear the Wood Tribe. Then, when the Tengmu Tribe gathered all the tribes together, the Wood Tribe would be no match for them.
Wasn't the Salt Tribe and the Cannibals wiped out by the Wood Tribe by gathering these small tribes together?
But Catvine wouldn't let him say it, claiming that if he revealed the news, more tribes would defect to the Wood Tribe. How could that be? Which tribe doesn't hold a fire ritual?
To his surprise, Catvine took a firm stance, even threatening him that if he spoke up, he would have to choose a new chieftain. Besides Catvine, the Vine Tribe only had three high-ranking orcs: Wolfleaf, Foxwood, and WolfFive. Not to mention that two of those three were no longer useful, as they were no longer orcs of the Vine Tribe.
Tengmu suppressed his anger, feeling that the vine tribe would one day fall into the hands of Maoteng.
Chapter 92
Deer Frost
A sweet aroma rushed into Big Black's nose like a tide. Big Black twitched its wet nose and suddenly opened its eyes.
It tastes like candy!
Big Black sat up, its nose twitching as it searched for the scent. Turning its head, it saw Tuanzi with its round bottom sticking out, its back to it.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!" What are you doing, kid?
Tuanzi turned around, its chest fur already wet with drool, and ran towards Dahei with its bright black eyes wide open. Only when Tuanzi moved did Dahei see what had been completely hidden by Tuanzi.
What is that?!
It's white, looks like a cloud, and smells incredibly sweet. Plus, it's covered in lots of candies!
Tuanzi ran happily towards Dahei, waving its arms and legs and chirping excitedly.
The priest said this is called a cake, and only we have such a big piece; no one else has one this big! It's a special reward for us!
The big black eyes shone as it stared at the thing that Tuanzi called "cake." It smelled so delicious! It stretched out its arm and dragged the wooden board containing the big cake forward, placing it in front of Tuanzi. It patted Tuanzi's head and said, "Hoo hoo hoo! Hoo hoo!" Look how tempted you are. Go ahead and eat.
Tuanzi couldn't resist any longer and buried her face in the cake with a soft "smack." The soft, sweet texture made Tuanzi squint and savor the cake with great enjoyment.
After that big bite, Tuanzi refused to eat anymore. It patted its father with its paw, this was a reward for its father who had collapsed from exhaustion, "Father, eat more!" Only then did Dahei pick up the wooden board and take a big, loud bite.
Previously, when Dahei fainted, Shen Nong shrunk Dahei to the size of a dumpling so that it would be easier for the beastmen to carry him. This is why Dahei's vision was completely blocked by the dumpling, and he couldn't see any trace of the cake, only smelling its aroma.
One bite of the cake and Big Black's eyes lit up. What does this taste like?! So soft! So delicious!
Big Black, who had been somewhat listless, instantly perked up. If there were lots of cakes to eat, it felt it could take on a few more big white tigers! It didn't feel tired at all!
When the medical team orcs who came to check on Dahei's injuries saw that Dahei had woken up, they moved in a large bucket of honey milk and said with a smile, "After you've eaten the food, drink this too. The priest said you need to replenish your energy, so it's all yours. After you finish drinking, take Tuanzi to the square to eat barbecue. Everyone is there celebrating Huxiao becoming the chieftain."
The orc in the medical team was beaming with excitement, eager to get to the plaza for the bonfire party hosted by the priest. He had seen it when he passed by the plaza on his way to fetch milk from the food preparation team; the bonfire was taller than his beast form, and when it was burning, it could illuminate half the sky.
At the bonfire party, the orcs ate and drank as much as they wanted—roasted meat and soup—and the priest even made a cake that was almost as tall as the watchtower. The aroma was so enticing that you could smell it from afar, making everyone want to pounce on it.
These were all things they had never heard of before, and they were incredibly novel to them. Even the priests from other tribes were so amazed that they insisted on attending their tribe's bonfire party.
Big Black, eager to join the fun, picked up the milk bucket and gulped down more than half of it. Then he remembered his cub was drooling over it, so he offered the remaining half-bucket to Tuanzi. But Tuanzi refused, telling him to drink it quickly—another one eager to get to the bonfire party.
...
On the concrete plaza, some orcs held meat in their hands and mouths, their eyes still fixed on the roasting meat. But most orcs' gazes were drawn to something tall and emitting a sweet aroma. The Wood Tribe priest called it a cake. Big Black and Dumpling looked at the cake, which was almost as tall as the watchtower, and swallowed hard.
So tall! So big! So many cakes!
All the ingredients needed for a cake are available in the Beast World, so making a low-quality one just requires more effort. That's why the low-quality cream cakes in the system shop are quite cheap, but the extra-large size that Shen Nong wanted made them not cheap in the end.
The one in the big black building cost 100 infrastructure points, while the one in the square cost a full 1,000 infrastructure points.
Shen Nong, who is usually frugal, would never buy it, but today he was happy because Da Hei had received a reward, and he wanted the other beastmen to taste the cake as well.
Considering its enormous size, Shen Nong gritted her teeth and bought it.
Moreover, he planned to visit a remote tribe.
Fish skin and animal hides are good for keeping warm, but they also have many limitations. They can't be washed often, and sewing them is laborious. More importantly, in winter, orcs have to wear many layers of clothing to go out.
If cotton were available, one could wear a cotton-padded jacket, trousers, and shoes in winter, and then put on a fur coat over them. Not only would it be warmer and more comfortable, but it would also make movement much easier.
However, these cotton seeds are really expensive, costing 500,000 infrastructure points per kilogram. The infrastructure points he accumulated from selling the jade in the Stone Tribe were only enough to buy two kilograms, which is enough for one acre of land.
Unlike fruit trees, cotton is a necessity.
Shen Nong hadn't dared to dream of this before, but now that she knew the Stone Tribe's jade could be traded with the system, she wanted to exchange for a sufficient quantity all at once. Ideally, she wanted to plant it next spring so she could use it all by winter. Unlike wheat and soybeans, she wouldn't have to worry about having too little, since after saving seeds, not much would be usable by the tribe.
Cakes are not something that every tribe in the Wood Tribe has. After the Wood Tribe orcs finished distributing them, it was the Mountain Tribe orcs' turn, followed by the Wind Tribe orcs.
After all the portions were distributed, only the two smaller ones on top remained. Shen Nong saw that Da Hei and Tuanzi were really craving them, with one bear roaring and the other chirping in his ear. He begged them for a long time to have just one more bite.
Shen Nong couldn't do anything about the two bears. The larger one on the second level was split in two, with the big black ball of fur taking half of each bear. The remaining smallest one on the very top was distributed among the priests and chieftains of the five tribes, leaving just enough for everyone.
The five tribal chiefs looked at the cakes in the hands of the priests and chieftains of the Mountain Tribe and the Wind Tribe, which were several times larger than their own. The priest of the Grass Tribe remarked quietly, "The priests of the Wind Tribe are really fast. Now they are treated the same as the priests of the Mountain Tribe."
"What's the same about it? We're still ranked after the Mountain Tribe," the Rain Tribe priest replied.
The chieftain of the Rock Tribe took a bite of cake, holding it in his mouth reluctant to chew, but finally had to chew it twice and swallow it because he needed to talk. "Then the Wind Tribe is in the same league. The cakes in their tribe's orcs are much bigger than the ones in ours."